But we had friends over for dinner this past weekend and it just happened to be Drew's birthday. So I decided to make them my cake guinea pigs. Actually, there really is no shortage of volunteers for this position, but it's easier when they come to my house.
With St Patrick's Day coming up, I went with the Guinness Stout Chocolate Cake and frosted it with Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting.
This is a Nigella Lawson recipe. I used a different frosting than the one included with the recipe, so I've left out that part. The Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting recipe is from Food.com
Chocolate Guinness Cake
1 cup Guinness stout
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups superfine sugar (I used granulated)
3/8 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Preheat oven to 350F
Pour the Guinness into a large sauce pan. Add butter and heat until melted. Whisk in cocoa and sugar. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Add to sauce pan and mix well. Add flour and baking soda and whisk until smooth.
Pour into a greased, parchment paper lined 9 in springform pan. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack.
Move to cake plate and top with Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting.
Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 TBLS butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
3 - 4 TBLS Bailey's Irish Cream
In a medium bowl, blend together cream cheese, butter, and Bailey's. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well until it's all incorporated. Use immediately.
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First you need some Guinness. Jon doesn't care for Guinness, so it's not something we keep on hand. We picked this one up at Smokin' Joe's.
Even though he doesn't care for Guinness, he took one for the team and finished it for me, since I only needed a cup.
Pour one cup of Guinness into a large sauce pan with the butter. Heat until butter is melted.
Turn off heat when butter is melted.
Whisk in cocoa
I used Dutch Process Cocoa from Penzey's.
And sugar
I didn't have superfine sugar, so I used granulated. It seemed to work out fine.
Whisk together eggs, sour cream & vanilla
Whisk that into the chocolate stout mixture
Then whisk in the flour and baking soda until smooth
Line a 9 in springform pan with parchment paper and butter the sides
Pour cake batter into prepared pan
Bake at 350F for 45 - 60 minutes
Cool in pan on wire rack until completely cooled
No worries about the grand canyon around the edge, it will get covered with frosting.
Move to cake plate and top with Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting.
If you look at the two previous pictures, you'll notice that the middle of the cake has sunk a bit. It probably could have cooked a few more minutes, but the pick came out dry, so I took it out. I'm pretty new to this cake from scratch thing.
Anyway...
A few tablespoons of Bailey's from a mini and you still have a little left for later.
Beat butter, cream cheese & Bailey's until well combined. Beat in powdered sugar.
Top the cake with a generous covering of the frosting.
I have to say... this frosting is amazingly delicious!
LOVE LOVE LOVED IT!
So the middle definitely could have been done more.
I typically don't care for chocolate, but I had a small piece and it's delicious!
You get just a hint of the stout flavor.
Very thick, rich, moist decadent cake.
I really can't recommend it enough. Everyone really loved it!
